Christopher Reeve's Son Doesn't Look Like This Anymore
It's still hard to believe that actor Christopher Reeve (best known for his role as Superman) died tragically more than 12 years ago from complications caused by an infected bed sore. The former action star had spent nine years as a quadriplegic following a fall while horseback riding.
His youngest son, William Reeve, who turned 25 in 2017, is not only honoring his late father and mother (Dana Morosini Reeve died of lung cancer in 2006) but also paving his own way as a broadcaster and activist. Though he lost his parents as a young teenager, Will maintains that he had a rather traditional upbringing. He completed college, pursued the career of his dreams, and works hard to uphold his late parents' spirit of generosity and philanthropy.
Now the spitting image of his dad, Will is gracious, kind, and carries himself heroically despite all of his hardships growing up.
Will Reeve truly had a Superdad
Despite the tragic accident that left his father paralyzed, Will Reeve revealed to Closer Weekly that Christopher Reeve was still able to teach him how to ride a bike, all through his own words. "He taught me how to ride a bike, just by telling me," Will said. "He couldn't physically help me ride a bike, because he was in a wheelchair, but that didn't stop him and me from having one of the quintessential father-son experiences."
"He told me to put my trust in him," he added. "I did, and I succeeded."
Orphaned at 13, Will Reeve lived with friends
It's hard to fathom becoming an orphan at age 13 and still managing to grow up with a good head on your shoulders. Will Reeve's mother, Dana Reeve, reportedly got everything set up to make sure he'd be well cared for in her absence. According to People, Will lived with childhood friends after his mother passed. Though he has two half-siblings, Matthew Reeve and Alexandra Reeve Givens, from his father's previous relationship with model Gae Exton, as well as other blood relatives, "Dana wanted him to stay in Bedford, New York, with the people he'd grown up with," the magazine reported.
A woman who lived in the same small town praised Dana's decision, telling The Mirror, "He's an amazing child. It makes total sense for him to be with close friends with a child of a similar age. It was a very wise decision." Years later, this courageous decision seems to have been the right one.
Maintaining his family's heroic legacy
Speaking to E! News in November 2016, Will Reeve touched upon the strength of his parents' legacy, and how it helped him grow up to be the young man he is today. "My parents' legacy is hugely important to me because they meant so much to the world on the whole, but they also meant so much to me personally and to my family," he said. "We don't want anything they did or what they stood for to fade off because their work was important."
"Everything that my parents did inspired me. I don't think I knew it at the time, but upon reflecting on my childhood, I certainly look back and can think of specific moments that mean so much to me now," he added.
Will Reeve is forging his own path
After earning degrees in English and American literature from Middlebury College in Vermont in 2014, Will landed a reporting gig with ESPN just months after graduation. No, he didn't get the job because of his super surname. Will cut his teeth in the field as a production assistant at Good Morning America. Will has served as a member of the popular SportsCenter team since early 2015, a job he calls "something he's always wanted." According to The Wrap, the network hired Will as part of a trio of young talent, including comedian Reese Waters and social media guru Sarina Morales, intended to "tap into the digital landscape to reach the millennial generation."
In addition to his role as an ESPN contributor, Will also hosts a weekly hockey show for MSG Network. He told Page Six he grew up on the ice. "Some of my fondest memories come from sitting along the glass with my mom and dad, learning to love hockey and forging a deep bond with my parents, and the sport, that still exists today." In fact, Chris reportedly attended one of Will's hockey games the day before he died.
Sizing up his booming broadcast career, Will told The Wrap, "My dad and I had a huge bond and shared a love of sports. I hope [my parents] would be proud and say, 'Great job,' no matter what. Then my dad would probably tell me to straighten my tie!"
Man of social media
Sports lover Will Reeve is on Twitter, under the username @ReeveWill, where he keeps everyone up to date with this musings on basketball, football and of course his first love hockey. Reeve casually throws in the occasional celebrity interaction, as well, with stars like Cuba Gooding, Jr., who was on his MSG Hockey Show. Follow Reeve and you'll also find gems from his everyday musings, like the time he saw a guy walking around NYC wearing snap spectacles or the time he admitted he's never seen Fight Club.
Reeve is also on Instagram, where he uses the handle @willreeve_. It's easy to get lost in the photos of the regular bro-meets-young celebrity vibe his account gives off. One day, he's posting pictures with the aforementioned Gooding, Jr.; the next, he's with his guy friends in Naples, Maine. But the star kids also uses the Gram just like everyone else — for nostalgia, like when he shared the above photo in tribute to his late grandfather. "I feel this small today," Reeve captioned the photo, adding, "Rest easy, Bumpa. To paraphrase one of your favorites: you did it your way. And I'll be forever grateful for that. And you." We're not crying, you are.
Even Superman's kids had to eat broccoli and go to bed
While some young people can't wait to spread their wings and rebel against their upbringing, Will Reeve has remained firmly rooted to the simple things in life and is close to his half-siblings. In 2013, the trio made headlines when they attended a gala together to benefit the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Like Will, half-siblings Alexandra Reeve Givens and Matthew Reeve have pursued careers outside of showbiz. How has Will remained so humble despite his parents' fame?
"I understand that not every child experiences going to the grocery store and seeing their dad on the magazine at the checkout aisle," Will told People in 2016, but...it was a totally normal childhood." His parents "were the people who told me to turn off the TV, to eat my broccoli, to go to bed," Will said.
Not all heroes wear capes
Will Reeve has worked tirelessly to raise money and awareness for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which pursues cures for spinal cord injuries, but he stopped short of running a marathon for the cause because he was afraid of not being able to finish the 26.2-mile course. Reeve told the Today show in 2016, "I'd always said that I'd do it next year, mainly because I didn't think I could do it. I didn't want to embarrass myself or look like a fool, but I realized that's not the point. I'm not running for me."
Will told the New York Post, "My folks instilled great values in me. One of the things they taught me from an early age is that when you're doing something, you'd better go all the way." After that epiphany of sorts, Reeve laced up his sneaks and ran the New York City Marathon in November 2016 with a goal to raise $35,000 for the foundation. Despite stepping out of his comfort zone — and getting bitten on his ankle by a very surly Shih Tzu while he trained — Reeve finished the race in 4 hours and 36 minutes and surpassed his fundraising goal, earning some $38,000 in donations, reported the Post.
Will Reeve: Super-unck
In June 2013, Will Reeve became a proud uncle to Christopher Russel Reeve Givens, firstborn to Alexandra Reeve Givens and her husband, Garren Givens. The "favorite uncle" took to social media to post pictures with "my dude," like the one above. The family's foundation also celebrated the news, congratulating the family on Twitter (via E! News) and announcing that the wee one was "already rocking #TeamReeve gear."
Who is the super lady in Will Reeve's life?
He's got a strong foundation of family and friends, a solid career, and a philanthropic drive. It seemed, for a while at least, that the only thing missing from Will Reeve's wildly successful life was a significant other. Town & Country even named him one of the Top 50 Bachelors of 2016, citing his generosity (and the flattering words of his grandmother) as proof of his perfection.
At the time of this writing, however, Reeve is spoken for. A quick glance at his Instagram shows a ton of loved-up snaps with a woman named Lexi Henkel. Unlike Reeve, she does not appear to be a public figure — or, at least, her personal life is relatively guarded. Her own Instagram is private, but from what we can gather from Reeve's IG, these two are going strong and jet-setting all over the world. "The life of the party happens to be the love of my life," Reeve captioned a snap of the two on what was apparently Henley's 25th birthday in February 2020. "Enjoy your quarter life crisis," he continued, adding, "I love you more than the most.
But perhaps what's most impressive about this young couple is that, so far, they've avoided stirring up any gossip or relationship drama. This day and age, that's a legitimate superpower.